Friday, May 24, 2013

The Top Ten Most Powerful Women

Forbes Magazine recently released its list of the 100 World’s
Most Powerful Women. Included were CEOs, political figures, and successful
women in different fields. It’s always interesting to see who’s at the top.
(This year, the top ten are mostly politicians.)

I would like to
propose my list.* Let’s call it:

The Top Ten Most Powerful Biblical Women.

1. The Virtuous Woman—Described
in Proverbs 31:10-31, this lady is industrious, a homemaker, seamstress, weaver,
cook, businesswoman, farmer, and she helps the poor. She’s a wife, mother, and
boss. Sometimes we get so impressed by all she does that we don’t see what she is.
The Virtuous Woman is a lady whose husband completely
trusts her. She speaks with wisdom and kindness. Her husband, children, and all
who know her praise her. She respects the Lord.Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest
them all (verse 29). If God says she
excels them all, so do I. Number one: the Virtuous Woman.

2. Mary, the mother
of Jesus—This very young lady was humble, willing, and strong. She
understood the incarnation of Jesus more clearly than anyone else, ever. She met
the angel Gabriel. She said “yes” to God’s using her to be the human mother of
her own Savior. She knew she risked losing her fiancé Joseph. She also knew
that no one else would understand how she could possibly be pregnant with God’s Child. (What a story!) She
certainly anticipated ridicule and shaming. But, she said yes anyhow and became
the mother of the only perfect Child in the history of mankind. Twice, we’re
told that Mary
kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19). Can you imagine what she knew and what she
saw? She was with Jesus when He performed that first miracle in Cana, and she
followed Him all of her life, even after His death and resurrection. The Bible
says she was with the other believers at Pentecost. When pregnant Mary goes to
visit her cousin Elizabeth, she said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Saviour (Luke 1:46-47).
Mary understood that she needed a Savior. He hadn’t been born yet, but she was
already praising Him. She deserves a very high spot on my list.

3. Sarah—Abraham’s
wife wasn’t perfect, but God holds her up as a role model for all Christian
women. In the New Testament book of Hebrews, God praises her in the “Hall of
Faith” chapter: Through
faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was
delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised(verse 11). Sarah laughed when she heard she was going to
have a baby. (At 89 or 90 years old, who wouldn’t?) Then, she lied about
laughing. On two occasions, she went along with her husband’s half-lie about
being his sister. (She was his half sister.) Sarah got mad at Hagar and treated
her badly. So, in some ways, Sarah was not
what we would like to see in a Christian woman. But, when we get to the New
Testament, we realize how great she was. She’s held up as the example for how women should yield to and respect their
husbands. For after this manner in the
old time the holy women also, who
trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own
husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham,
calling him lord: whose daughters ye are,
as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement (1 Peter
3:5-6). Can you imagine following your husband from Ur to Haran to the Promised
Land, rescuing Lot and his household, permanently camping for the rest of your
life? And then, you give birth to a baby—at ninety
years of age! (I hope she had help running after him in his toddler years.)
Yep, Sarah’s number three.

4. Ruth—I have a hard
time relating to this amazing woman. This is her story: she was a Moabite who
married a Hebrew man. He, his brother, and his father died, probably in a close
time frame. (How did they die? The Bible doesn’t tell us if they were sick or
murdered or died in an accident.) Ruth had trusted her husband’s God. So, she
left her family and her country behind and traveled with her mother-in-law
Naomi back to Bethlehem, Naomi’s hometown. (I get the impression that Naomi was
a cranky lady. She was a believer, but she lost her joy when her husband and
sons died.) This is why I think Ruth is so amazing: she wanted to go with Naomi
because of her devotion to God. Her
mother-in-law’s personality wasn’t the draw. It was God. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from
following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou
lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where
thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and
more also, if ought but death part thee and me (Ruth 1:16-17). God blessed
Ruth, who dutifully obeyed Naomi and worked hard to provide them with food. God
gave her a fine, loving husband and one son. God also made sure this lovely
woman was included in the lineage of Jesus Christ—one of the non-Jewish people
in Jesus’ background. What an honor!

5. Esther—This lady is
a true heroine. Her obedience, bravery, and love for her people are exemplary.
Her story is one of my personal favorites because of all the ironies in it.
Esther was a beauty queen in the strictest of terms. She must have been
stunning and very elegant. She understood that “less is more” when it comes to
dressing beautifully, and she caught the king’s eye, if not his heart, and
became queen. Her Jewish cousin Mordecai (who reared her after the death of her
parents) advised her to keep her Jewishness a secret. Later, she was used by
God to save her people in the bravest of ways—approaching her own husband
without being summoned! If he refused her, she would be killed. Esther and her
maidens prayed and fasted for three days, along with all the Jews, before she
dared to go to the king. Mordecai told her, For
if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement
and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s
house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14) God answered their prayers, saved the Jews,
and punished the perpetrator Haman. I love this whole story! Definitely,
Esther belongs in my top five.

Hi and welcome to In the Way! I explore many subjects, striving always to present them from a biblical viewpoint. Feel free to browse the tabs at the top for general categories. If you don't see what you're looking for, use the search button below. I'm a pastor's wife, mother of two, grandma, teacher, author, and blogger. I live in a quaint little village in the beautiful Basque region of northern Spain.

I Belong To

Please Link Back

About Me

Lou Ann is a young-thinking grandma with an infectious laugh. She rejoices in nature and other beautiful things--including people! She's an avid writer and practices several other artistic expressions, like singing when no one's listening, calligraphy, photography, and even "serious art." Lou Ann loves her Lord Jesus Christ, family, and her church.